I hope they don't need to see either Jensen or Archibald as neither is ready for the NHL playoffs (and arguably not the NHL period). Seeing them means either the canucks have significant injuries or are getting destroyed and are trying anything to right the ship.

Yes Gaunce has been asked to join the black aces and soak up the atmosphere. If he sees the ice during a game it's because they have massive injury issues or even more massive performance issues and AV is making a last ditch attempt at saving his job.

tantalum wrote:Yes Gaunce has been asked to join the black aces and soak up the atmosphere. If he sees the ice during a game it's because they have massive injury issues or even more massive performance issues and AV is making a last ditch attempt at saving his job.

Scott Arniel leaned back in a comfortable lower-bowl seat at Rogers Arena on Tuesday morning and gazed down at an ice surface that he may become more familiar with next season.

After coaching the Chicago Wolves this season and knowing the parent Vancouver Canucks ended that AHL affiliation before purchasing the Peoria Rivermen from the St. Louis Blues, there’s a possibility that Rogers Arena could house an NHL and AHL team next fall. They almost did Tuesday after Arniel conducted an earlier practice.

With no limit on NHL playoff rosters, notable Canucks recalls include Jordan Schroeder, Nicklas Jensen, Darren Archibald, Andrew Gordon, Kellan Lain, Alexandre Mallet, Brendan Gaunce, Jim Vandermeer, Peter Andersson and Eddie Lack. Lack played just a dozen games for the Wolves before hip surgery and is here for medical assessment. The rest are here to evaluate and be ready in case they get the Canucks call.

“The guys are getting an 8 a.m. practice and an off-ice workout because you never know — if you’re going to make a long playoff run, you’re going to need bodies,” said Arniel, who has two years left on his Canucks contract and is working the recall practices with Dave Babych. “We’ve got to make sure that everybody is up to speed and for rest, Alain (Vigneault) might want guys to move up to practice to have the numbers. We have to keep the guys ready.”

Arniel will work with the recalls for Game 1 and 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinal series with the San Joe Sharks before doing some playoff scouting for the Canucks, like he did last spring. And by the summer, he hopes to know where he’ll be coaching the Canucks’ new AHL team.

“It (rumour) has been in our dressing room and around us since January, but as the summer drags on you want some sort of idea, but it’s going to take some time,” he said.

OF NOTE – The Canucks will participate in the Young Stars prospects tournament in Penticton on Sept. 5-9.

The only way we see these guys ( Black Aces ) on the Canucks playoff team is if we go deep and get similar injuries to the team that we saw in 2011.. I am hoping to see an injury free team but don't really believe that will happen .. So "plan b" is we see a few of these guys as injury or suspension replacements.. and we go on to win the Cup